Steam-heating system



lATBNTE'D MAR.1, 1904'.

La. SHANKLIN.

vsTEMzI HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLIUATIN FILED AUG 24. 1903 ff/,f'f/lvA we mams #crans to womu'nm'.wAsmunfoN. o.

' means of a valve conveniently accessible at tems employing radiators.

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a diagrammatic viewl ofV a radiator of a sys- UNITED STATES PatentedMarch 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-HEATING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,324, dated March 1,1904.

Application filed August 24, 1903t To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN RICHARD SHANK- LIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State ofWest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Steam-Heating System, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam-heating sys- The invention has for itsobject to regulate and control the passage of steam from the generatorto the radiator and the return of the water of condensation and air tothe pump, whereby the condense water is eventually returned to theboiler or generator, said regulation and control being effected in partautomatically by means o f an automatically-operating thermostaticvalve, in part manually by all times and whereby the passage of steamunder pressure into the radiator may be regulated or entirely shut olf,and finally by means of a valve ordinarily non-accessible and which maybe set so as to govern the maximum amount of steam permitted to pass tothe radiator.l

My invention with these ends in view consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 isl tem constructed inaccordancewith the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 isa sectionaldetail view of the automatically-operating thermostatic valve. Fig. 3 isa part-sectional view of the regulating-valve. Fig. 4 is a seotionalview taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.

' Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

1 designates a radiator which may comprise any desired number of coilsor sections and which is in all respects of ordinary construction.

2 designates a valve-casing having four branches 3, 4, 5, and 6, thebulb of the casing being provided with an interior web 7, having anopening 8, facing the branch 3 and constituting a seat for a valve 9.The branch 3,

Serial No. 170,632. (No model.)

which is the steam inlet, communicates through the opening 8 with thebranch 4, with which is connected a pipe 10, carrying steam to theradiator.

' The branch 6 of the valve-casing is bored for the passage of a stem11, which carries the valve 9, and said branch has an integral tubularextension 12, below which the solid body of thevalve-casing has a bore13 for the passage of air and condense-water to the outlet, which isthrough the branch 5. The branch 6 has a wrench-seat 14, and it isexternally threaded, as shown at 15, the tubular extension 12 and theexhaust-passage 13 being both included within the threaded portion ofthe branch 6. Said branch 6 is connected with the outer section of theradiator, and the tubular extension 12 may be extended through one ormore of saidsections, as will be readily understood.

In the bottom of the tublar extension 12 is formed a recess 16 for apacking-gland 17, which surrounds thevalve-carrying stem 11'. The innerend of said stem has a socket 18 for the reception of an expansible body19, the extreme inner end of which is seated in a cap 20, which latterisA exteriorly threaded and adjustable in the interiorly-threaded innerend of the tubular extension 12. Said cap 20 is provided with lugs 21,which may be conveniently engaged by a tool, whereby the said cap may beadjusted to thereby adjust the position of the valve 9 with relation tothe` opening or seat-8. The expansible body 19 constitutes, it will beobserved, a thermostat, which is disposed within the casing or cage 12and which when expanded by heat will effect the automatic closure of theopeningB by the valve 9, and, reversely, when contracted by cold willwithdraw the valve 9 from its seat, so as to admit of the passage ofsteam.

It will be observed that the device thus far IOO the outerradiator-section is a regulator-valve comprising a casing 22, havingfour branches 23, 24, 25 and 26, the lowermost of which, 23, isconnected by the pipe 1() with the branch 4 of the casing 2, said branch23 thus constituting a steam-inlet. rlhe casing 22 is provided with twointeriorly-disposed webs or partitions 27 and 28, each having an opening29 30, which said openings constitute valve-seats. The web 27 isdisposed approximately vertically within the casing, and the seat oropening therein is closed by means of a valve 31, consisting of a stemwhich has threaded engagement with the interiorlythreaded branch 25,which latter is provided at its outer end with a cap 32 and a gasket orpacking-ring 33, affording a tight joint. The valve 31 is provided witha notch 34, whereby when the cap 32 is removed it may be set, by meansof a screw-driver or other suitable tool, so as to regulate the amountof fluid permitted to pass through the opening 29. When the valve 31 hasbeen initially set, the cap 32 is restored and tightened, so as toprevent tampering with said valve. The passage of steam from the pipethrough the web or diaphragm 27 and into the space or chamber 35 betweenthe webs 27 and 28 is thus regulated by said valve. The space or chamber36 above the web or diaphragm 28 communicates with the radiator throughthe laterally-extending branch 24, which has threaded connection withthe upper end of the radiator-section. It will be observed that steamwill be permitted to pass freely into the chamber 35 to the extentgoverned by the valve 31. The passage of steam from the chamber 35 andto the radiator is Vgoverned by a valve 37, seated in the opening Vtorest upon the upper side of the cap or upon the upper face of the cam41, as may be desired. Said cam is divided into a plurality of steps 44of gradually-increasing height and separated by inclined portions 45. Acoiled spring 46, encircling the valve-stem 38, forces ,the latter andthe valve carried thereby normally into engagement with the seat 30,this being the position occupied when the foot 43 is in contact with theupper surface of the cap proper. It will be seen that by rotating thevalve-stem axially by means of the handle 42 the foot 43 may begradually raised from one to another of the steps 44 until it attainsthe highest position at which the valve will be opened to the fullestextent, the intermediate steps serving to gage the degree oi` theopening, and hence to regulate the amount of steam permitted to pass bythe valve 37 to the rradiator.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed, the operation and advantages of my invention will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.The thermostatic valve at the lower end of the radiator serves as apressure-regulator and its casing also as an exit for the'water ofcondensation. When the radiator is in use, the steam passing vthroughthe pipe 10 and through the opening or valve-seat 29 in the web 27 ofthe upper valve-casing 22 is checked by the valve 30, the amount ofsteam permitted to enter into the chamber 35, from which the valve 37forms the outlet, being gaged and permanently determined by the valve31. The occupants of the room in which theA radiator is located may bymanipulating the handle 42 regulate the admission of steam into theradiator, the maximum amount of steam being that which is permitted topass by the valve 31. When the radiator becomes heated, the expansiblebody 19, constituting the'thermostat, will be expanded, thus closing orpartially closing the valve 9, and thereby shutting olif or dimishingthe steam-supply, as the case may be. The point at which the steam shallbe entirely shut off by the action of the valve 9 may be initiallydetermined by properly adjusting the cap 20, which is connected, asherein described, with the stem of said valve. When the radiator becomescooler, the expansible body 19 contracts, thereby opening the valve andincreasing the steam-supply. The water of condensation which accumulatesin the bottom of the radiator will at all times iind a ready outletthrough the passage 13 to the branch 5 of the valve-casing 2, fromwhence it may be piped to the pump, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a steam-heatingsystem, a thermostatic valve governing the passage of steam from thesource of supply, said valve comprising a casing connected with, andhaving a cage extending laterally into, the lower part of a radiator, anexpansible valve-carrying member within said cage, and an outlet forcondense-water extending through said valvecasing and communicating withthe interior of the radiator below the cage containing the expansiblemember.

2. In asteam-heating system, avalve-casing connected directly with thelower end of the radiator, a thermostatic valve within said casingcontrolling the passage of steam from the source of supply, and an exitfor water of condensation extending through said valve-casing andcommunicating with the interior of the radiator. i

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I0 and connecting means between said controlling means and thesteam-exit of the casing containing the thermostatic Valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto axed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN RICHARD SHANKLIN.

Witnesses:

W. G. BARRAR, ISAAC LoEWENsTErN.

